Wire-connector.



, construction.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER W. WYGKOFF, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA; NATHAN H. RICHARDSON ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID HOMER W. WYCKOFF, DECEASED.

WIRE-CONNE GTOR.

Specification dream Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed March 12, 1906. Serial n. 305,529.

My invention relates to-wire connectorsfor connecting electrically or mechanically two or more wires used for conducting electricity.

The object of my invention is to provide a connector that will clamp the wires firmly in a locked position for ordinary use; that can be quickly opened without injuring the con nector for testing and other purposes; that will serve for connecting together either wires of the same size or wires of different sizes; that can be applied to join continuous wires, a wire end to a continuous wire, or two wire ends; and that will conform to variations in diameters of different sized wires.

My invention is especially applicable to telephone and telegraph wires of co per, at polnts where it is desired to open t e main me at times, or where it is desired toconnect a branch wire to a continuous main wire. Two main tele hone or telegraph wires to be connected in this manner will usually be of the same size, No. 12 (diameter .104) and No. 14 (diameter .080), being the two sizes of copper wire commonly used in telephone In case of legging a branch wire to a continuous main telephone wire, the main wire will ordinarily be numbered 12 and the branch wire No. 14 in size. While N o. 12 and No. 14 wire is the wiremost'commonly used in telephone construction, various other wires are used, the difference in diameter of'wh'ich varies from 0.16 or less to 0.040, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a connector which may accommodate any combination of Wires, even though their variation be as ,much as .040.

In the 'accompanyin show one embodimento my invention, Fig. 1 is an isometric view of my connector; Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of my invention;

Fig. 3-is a modified form of my invention;

and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the manner in which different wires may be connected.

As shown in Fig. 2, the plate a has a hole 9' drawings, which 7 in the center, slightly'larger than the shank of the bolt 11, so as to allow some play for lateral adjustment of the grooves upon the wires The other plate I) has a corresponding hole through its center for the screwthread is of the bolt. The turning of the bolt will thus draw the two plates at and b together upon the wires. -The nut 2, also screwing on the thread 70, serves as a lock nut, when screwed ti htly" against plate I) to prevent loosenin o the contact upon the wires by wind or ot er sources of vibration,acting upon them. Thethread in the late may be omitted to cheapen the cost 0 constructionor for other purposes, or the lock nut may be omitted when the threaded plate is used. 'The end 7c of the bolt is battered down or headed over slightly as at k, to pre vent the parts of theclani becoming detached and lost, and the head a of the bolt may be grooved for a screw driver. The plates, however, may be se arated sufficiently to allow the wire to he passed between the same at the sides when necessary.

The 0 posed faces of the lates a and b are provide with grooves f an 9 to receive the wires. These grooves 1n cross section or end view, Fi s.|1, 2 and-3 are formed with the same ra ius which is at least as large as that of the lar est wire to be used. The two eX- actly simi ar grooves f, however, are out less deep in the plates as shown, than the exactly similar grooves g, by a depth equal to the average difference in radii between two Wires of unequal size that may be used together.

As hereinbefore stated, the difierence between diameters of wires used in combination may (possibly vary from .016" or less, to .040, an it will be evident that it would be impossible with one ty e of connector to practically make the di erence in depth of ences of wires and still preserve theparal- .lelism of the outer surfaces of the plates.

The combinations of wires most commonly used b telephone companies are as follows:.

#18 & S. (diam. .040) and #14 N. B. S. (diam. .080) 'difierence between diam. .040

#14 B. & S. (.064) and #14 N. B. S. (.080)'difierence between diam. .016.v

#14 N. B. S. (.080) and #12 N. B. S. (.104)difference between diam. .024.

It is also ossible that the following combinations W1 be used:

#18 B. & S. (.040) and #14 B. & S. (.064)-difference between diam. .024.

416 N. B. S. (.064) and #12 N. B. S. (.104)difference between diam. .040.

I have adopted an average difference of 1028 (.014 for each plate) for the difference in depths of the Wire grooves and propose to take up the variation from this average difference, amounting to .012 each way, by thickening the plates in the middle and thus providing for slanting plane or curved surfaces extending from each side of the middle to the edges, on the outer faces of the plates, and adapted to take up this slight variation mentioned, when the plates are clam ed together. It will be noted that if the di erence between the diameters of two unequal wires used in the connectorfsee Figs. 2 and 3) is greater than the average, as is the case with .064 and .104 wires, the outer surfaces of the plates to the left of the middle line, that is, upon the side toward the larger Wire, will be )ractically parallel, iving good bearing under the bolt head and nut. Similarly, if the difference in diameters of the wires, is less than the average difference, as is the case with .064 and .080 wires, the outer sur faces of the plates to the right of the middle line, that is, toward the smaller wire, will be practically parallel, and there will be good earing under the bolt head and nut. In fact, if the outer face of each plate along the middle line is slightly rounded, there would be sufficient bearing in all cases. The grooves in the connector can be varied to accommodate any size of wire, so that the connector is not limited to use with wires mentioned herein.

It is easily seen that this connector is adapted for use with two wires of the same diameter by sim 1y turning one plate half way around the olt, while the other plate remains stationary. Groove f in the plate a is then opposite groove 9 in b, and groove 9 in plate a will be opposite groove f in plate I).

f, now, two No. 12 wires are placed in the connector, it will be seen that on account of all grooves having been cut with at least as large a radius as that of wire 12, the wires wil come into good contact with the bottoms of the grooves, and on account of the.

diameters of the wires being the same and the full depth of grooves f and g equaling the full depth of rooves g and f at the other side in plates of the form shown, the outer faces of the lates will still offer good bearing for the bol t head 0 and the nut e as before. Beduction in the sizeof two equal wires will still preserve the contacts at the bottoms of the grooves. Thus it is seen that by thickening eachplate along the middle line, or in other words, providing the outer faces of the plates with ridges or surfaces sloping very slightly from the middleline to each side of the plate, to permit a slight rocking of the 'each of said faces being plates under the bolt head and the nut, the

connector is efficiently adapted for use with wires of various diameters even if the difference in diameters may not exactly conform with the difference in depth of the grooves. Also, as to the rocking of the lates under the bolt head and nut, it is easfiy seen that the plate that is not cut with a screw thread, has sufficient play to permit of a slight rocking, and with reference to the plate tap ed with the screw thread there is sufficient p ay in the thread and in the elasticity of the material to permit that also to rock the small amount that is required.

While the connector may be made of any suitable metal, it is desirable tohave the 7 plates made of the same metal as the wire to I e joined, and that the whole be reasonably non-corrosive. For copper wire,'as heretofore indicated, it is preferable to make the connector with copper plates and brass bolt and nut. .Cheaper metals, plated or otherwise protected against corrosion may, however, be used.

From tlie above, it will be noted that my connector is efficiently adapted to the various uses set forth, and may be used inmany relations for other purposes. 1

I wish to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and describedfor obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is:

1. In a wire-connector, in combination, two metal plates having opposed inner faces for receiving wires therebetween upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the plates, said metal ('iplates' having surfaces slanting from the mi dle to the sides thereof, and means for clamping the plates together.

2. In a wire-connector, in combination, 110 4 two metal plates having opposed inner faces, each of said faces being rovided with grooves upon opposite sides 0 the lon tudinal center thereof, the grooves of eac face registering with the grooves in the other face, the outer faces of said metal plates having surfaces slanting from the middle to the sides thereof, and means for clamping the plates together.

3. In a wire-connector, in combination, two metal plates having opposed inner faces, provided with grooves upon opposite sides of the lon itudinal center thereof, the grooves of eac face registering with the grooves in the other face, the outer faces of said metal plates having surfaces slanting from the middle to the sides thereof, and a bolt pass' through said plates to clamp the same toget er.

4. In a wire-connector, in combination, two metal plates having opposing inner faces,

902,040 A I l r a each of said faces having substantially per- In witness whereof I have hereunto sub allel grooves of different cross section reglsscribed my name in the presence of two wit tering with the grooves 111 the other face, the nesses.

outer faces ofi said metal plates having sur- HOMER W. WYCKOFF. 5 faces slanting from the middle to the sides Witnesses:

thereof, and a bolt passingthrough "said E. J. FARRELL, plates to clamp the same together. OsoAR PETERSEN 

